Within a gap of less than a month, this time we decided to go for a short visit to Ayodhya and Lucknow, long pending must see places. Aditya was busy in his studies, so only we two went. Situated on the banks of Saryu River, Ayodhya, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh is an ancient city of India. Being the birthplace of Lord Rama, an important deity in the Hindu pantheon, it is an important pilgrim place for Hindus. Lucknow, the city of Nawabs, is the capital of Uttar Pradesh. After a shift of capital from Faizabad in 1775, the city came to prominence and became the hub of cultural activities in Awadh, a state that existed almost independently under the nominal suzerainty of the Mogul Emperor in the 18th century. Awadh was annexed by the British East India Company in 1856, and the last Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah was deposed. The next year saw the city become one of the centres of the Sepoy mutiny of 1857, the first war of Indian independence, as many view it. The gradual decline in the rich traditions was inevitable, but thankfully, Lucknow still preserves many of its rich traditions. We started our journey by train on 12.3.2010. In our block of six we were accompanied by four young children of 20-25 years of age, all thoroughly enjoying themselves by teasing one another. Their amusements were so engrossing that one could not keep ourself aloof. Soon we we six started enjoying together. These children had the same destination, Faizabad, where they had to attend a marriage ceremony of some common fried. We departed on reaching Faizabad in the morning the next day. At Faizabad we were received by Shri Suman Kumar, Principal, JNV, Faizabad and we freshed ourselves at this JNV.
13.3.2010
In Ayodhya we visited Ram Janmabhoomi shrine, Kanak Bhawan, Hanuman Garhi, Swargdwar, Nageshwarnath Temple, Saryu River Ghat and Ram Trust. The Ram Janmabhoomi shrine, as appears from its very name, is the b
irthplace of Lord Rama. It is believed that Lord Rama spent much of his childhood here. Due to Babri Masjid Rama Janmabhoomi dispute, the security here is very tight and one has to cross numerous check points before entering the shrine. However, with the help of Shri R A Yadav, a CRPF officer, we had very comfortable darshan. In this shrine, we saw, Sita Koop, disputed birthplace of Rama and an old building called Sita ki rasoi. One kilometre east of the Ram Janmabhoomi shrine is Hanumangarhi (Fortress of Hanuman, the revered monkey god and friend/devotee of Lord Rama). It is said that Lord Hanuman lived in a cave nearby to protect the Ram Janmabhoomi. The temple is approachable
by a flight of 76 steps. One can take a very beautiful and scenic view of the whole city of Ayodhya from the roof of the temple. Next we visited Kanak Bhawan, the temple that is also called Sone-ka-Ghar. This temple houses idols of Lord Sri Rama and Sita dressed in gold crowns. It was told that the Bhawan belonged to Kaikeyi, the second 
queen of Raja Dashrath (father of Ram) who gifted it in a custom of Muh-Dikhai to Sita (wife of Ram). Passage from Saryu River Ghat to Nageshwarnath Temple is called Swargdwar. Nageshwarnath Temple belongs to Lord Shiva. Many other ghats are also built near the temple for devotees to take a holy dip in the river Saryu. The ghat of Saryu river is a beautiful place. People come here, take bath in the holy river and perform pooja. Small boats are also available to go to the other side of the river. After visiting all the important places of Ayodhya, we came back to our rest house for lunch and rest. Around five in the evening, we started 
for Lucknow, by road, in the car of Shri Suman Kumar as he had some work at Lucknow next day. The family of Shri Kumar, his wife and two children, also accompanied. His elder child, Shradhha, is a sweet girl, studying in 3rd standard. She has a very sweet voice and recited many songs on way. The younger one, Sanskar, is a boy, with an IQ much above his age. His inquisitiv
e mind has no limits and wants to know the entire world. We all together found it difficult to face his intriguing questions and responses. At Lucknow, we had to stay for the night of 13.3.2011 at JNV, Lucknow. Meeting with Shri J S Chauhan, Principal, JNV, Lucknow, was a pleasant surprise. Shri Chauhan was Principal of JNV, Tikamgarh in 1997, when, while working in Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti as Assistant Commissioner on deputation, I was detailed for a CBSE invigilation duty inter alia to that JNV. With his exceptional administrative abilities and his long years of experience, Shri Chauhan makes an elderly respectable figure in Lucknow Region.
irthplace of Lord Rama. It is believed that Lord Rama spent much of his childhood here. Due to Babri Masjid Rama Janmabhoomi dispute, the security here is very tight and one has to cross numerous check points before entering the shrine. However, with the help of Shri R A Yadav, a CRPF officer, we had very comfortable darshan. In this shrine, we saw, Sita Koop, disputed birthplace of Rama and an old building called Sita ki rasoi. One kilometre east of the Ram Janmabhoomi shrine is Hanumangarhi (Fortress of Hanuman, the revered monkey god and friend/devotee of Lord Rama). It is said that Lord Hanuman lived in a cave nearby to protect the Ram Janmabhoomi. The temple is approachable
by a flight of 76 steps. One can take a very beautiful and scenic view of the whole city of Ayodhya from the roof of the temple. Next we visited Kanak Bhawan, the temple that is also called Sone-ka-Ghar. This temple houses idols of Lord Sri Rama and Sita dressed in gold crowns. It was told that the Bhawan belonged to Kaikeyi, the second 
queen of Raja Dashrath (father of Ram) who gifted it in a custom of Muh-Dikhai to Sita (wife of Ram). Passage from Saryu River Ghat to Nageshwarnath Temple is called Swargdwar. Nageshwarnath Temple belongs to Lord Shiva. Many other ghats are also built near the temple for devotees to take a holy dip in the river Saryu. The ghat of Saryu river is a beautiful place. People come here, take bath in the holy river and perform pooja. Small boats are also available to go to the other side of the river. After visiting all the important places of Ayodhya, we came back to our rest house for lunch and rest. Around five in the evening, we started 
for Lucknow, by road, in the car of Shri Suman Kumar as he had some work at Lucknow next day. The family of Shri Kumar, his wife and two children, also accompanied. His elder child, Shradhha, is a sweet girl, studying in 3rd standard. She has a very sweet voice and recited many songs on way. The younger one, Sanskar, is a boy, with an IQ much above his age. His inquisitiv
e mind has no limits and wants to know the entire world. We all together found it difficult to face his intriguing questions and responses. At Lucknow, we had to stay for the night of 13.3.2011 at JNV, Lucknow. Meeting with Shri J S Chauhan, Principal, JNV, Lucknow, was a pleasant surprise. Shri Chauhan was Principal of JNV, Tikamgarh in 1997, when, while working in Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti as Assistant Commissioner on deputation, I was detailed for a CBSE invigilation duty inter alia to that JNV. With his exceptional administrative abilities and his long years of experience, Shri Chauhan makes an elderly respectable figure in Lucknow Region.14.3.2011
On this day we saw different important places at Lucknow. First of all, we went to Mankam
eshwar Mahadev Mandir at Dollyganj and then famous Hanuman Setu Mandir. Thereafter we went to Bara Imam Bara, one of the major tourist attractions of Lucknow. It is a Shiite religious building, and serves as the venue of religious gatherings during Muharram and other significant occasions of the Shia religion. The lower part of the building has three halls, of which one has roof in shape of a saucer, the central hall has roof in shape of a tray an
d the third hall has roof in shape of musk melon. It has a unique style of construction. The central hall of Bara Imam Bara is said to be the largest arched hall in the world. The hall measures 50 meters long and goes up to a height of 15 meters. What makes the construction unique is the fact that the blocks have been put together with interlocking system of bricks and there is absolutely no use of girders and beams. The roof stands steady 
till date without any pillars to support it. The Bara Imam Bara is known for its incredible maze called Bhulbhulaiya. This is located in the upper floor of the monument. A stairway leads to this level. One can view a scenic panorama of the city from the top of this monument, which is absolutely breath-taking. The Bhulbhulaiya is a must see place and the best way to find your way out without getting lost is by engage a guide. To demonstrate the difficulty in finding one’s way out, the guides leave the Tourists alone for some time to venture their way out. It is said that great treasures are hidden in the secret tunnels of this maze. One of the most unique buildings that Asaf-ud-Daulah built was the Shahi Baoli. It was constructed around a large well that had been initially dug as a reservoir for storing water 
for construction work near the Imam Bara. It turned out to be a perennial source of water, due to its underground connection with the river flowing nearby. It would have remained there as a well, but Asaf-ud-Daulah who had a desire to build unique buildings, ordered it to be built as a guest-house - the Shahi Mehmaan Khana. Only a 
small part of the Shahi Baoli, towards the Imam Bara, remains in the form of a double arched gateway and an open staircase that leads to the well along with a five storied structure formed with open archways and galleries that interconnect. It is believed that there are two more stories of the palace submerged below. Chota Imam Bara is said to be the
brainchild of Mohammed Ali Shah. The complex contains many tombs, said to be those of Mohammad Ali Shah and his family members. The main building of this Imam Bara is topped by a golden dome, which when illuminated during festivities, offers a fantastic view. This complex is also known by the name of Husainabad Imam Bara. The British Residency of Lucknow is a famous historical landmark of this place. It i
s now in ruins and has been declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. The British Residency was the place that served as a refuge for approximately 3000 British inhabitants during the time of the uprising of 1857. Lucknow was center of all British activities during the siege and the Residency became the monopolistic center of the British for almost 90 days. The Residency also has a museum that is well-maintained by the authorities. Here, one also finds the tomb of Sadat Ali Khan, who was the first Nawab of Awadh, Kaisarbagh Palace and an observatory built for Colonel Wilcox, who wa
s a British astronomer. We also saw Rumi Darwaza and Clock Tower. In the evening we did some purchases of chicken suits for which Lucknow is famous for. When a couple of dozens of trains to and from Lucknow were cancelled due to Jat andolan, our train, Kaifiat, was not only running but was on time at 11.15 pm and so it reached Delhi at 7.15 AM on 15.3.2011. After reaching New Delhi, one is again a machine operating from home to office and back day in and day out.
eshwar Mahadev Mandir at Dollyganj and then famous Hanuman Setu Mandir. Thereafter we went to Bara Imam Bara, one of the major tourist attractions of Lucknow. It is a Shiite religious building, and serves as the venue of religious gatherings during Muharram and other significant occasions of the Shia religion. The lower part of the building has three halls, of which one has roof in shape of a saucer, the central hall has roof in shape of a tray an
d the third hall has roof in shape of musk melon. It has a unique style of construction. The central hall of Bara Imam Bara is said to be the largest arched hall in the world. The hall measures 50 meters long and goes up to a height of 15 meters. What makes the construction unique is the fact that the blocks have been put together with interlocking system of bricks and there is absolutely no use of girders and beams. The roof stands steady 
till date without any pillars to support it. The Bara Imam Bara is known for its incredible maze called Bhulbhulaiya. This is located in the upper floor of the monument. A stairway leads to this level. One can view a scenic panorama of the city from the top of this monument, which is absolutely breath-taking. The Bhulbhulaiya is a must see place and the best way to find your way out without getting lost is by engage a guide. To demonstrate the difficulty in finding one’s way out, the guides leave the Tourists alone for some time to venture their way out. It is said that great treasures are hidden in the secret tunnels of this maze. One of the most unique buildings that Asaf-ud-Daulah built was the Shahi Baoli. It was constructed around a large well that had been initially dug as a reservoir for storing water 
for construction work near the Imam Bara. It turned out to be a perennial source of water, due to its underground connection with the river flowing nearby. It would have remained there as a well, but Asaf-ud-Daulah who had a desire to build unique buildings, ordered it to be built as a guest-house - the Shahi Mehmaan Khana. Only a 
small part of the Shahi Baoli, towards the Imam Bara, remains in the form of a double arched gateway and an open staircase that leads to the well along with a five storied structure formed with open archways and galleries that interconnect. It is believed that there are two more stories of the palace submerged below. Chota Imam Bara is said to be the
brainchild of Mohammed Ali Shah. The complex contains many tombs, said to be those of Mohammad Ali Shah and his family members. The main building of this Imam Bara is topped by a golden dome, which when illuminated during festivities, offers a fantastic view. This complex is also known by the name of Husainabad Imam Bara. The British Residency of Lucknow is a famous historical landmark of this place. It i
s now in ruins and has been declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. The British Residency was the place that served as a refuge for approximately 3000 British inhabitants during the time of the uprising of 1857. Lucknow was center of all British activities during the siege and the Residency became the monopolistic center of the British for almost 90 days. The Residency also has a museum that is well-maintained by the authorities. Here, one also finds the tomb of Sadat Ali Khan, who was the first Nawab of Awadh, Kaisarbagh Palace and an observatory built for Colonel Wilcox, who wa
s a British astronomer. We also saw Rumi Darwaza and Clock Tower. In the evening we did some purchases of chicken suits for which Lucknow is famous for. When a couple of dozens of trains to and from Lucknow were cancelled due to Jat andolan, our train, Kaifiat, was not only running but was on time at 11.15 pm and so it reached Delhi at 7.15 AM on 15.3.2011. After reaching New Delhi, one is again a machine operating from home to office and back day in and day out. 
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